Here's one for ya...

Organized labor suffered a major defeat on Friday night in Tennessee, when the United Auto Workers (UAW) narrowly lost a vote to unionize the Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Chattanooga. Workers voted 712-626 against forming a union, ending months of bitter campaigning on the part of both the UAW and its conservative opponents.

Those opponents did not include Volkswagen, which announced early on that it would not challenge the UAW’s organizing drive. Instead, the German auto-maker welcomed cooperation with the union in hopes that they could form a cooperative “works council” modelled after the labor-management governing structures found in much of Germany’s private sector. For its part, the UAW was hoping to extend its influence in the historically anti-union South, now that organized labor’s strength has significantly waned in traditional Rust Belt strongholds like Michigan.

But despite Volkswagen’s assent, the UAW faced unexpectedly strong opposition from the state Republican Party and conservative special interest groups.

Organized labor suffered a major defeat on Friday night in Tennessee, when the United Auto Workers (UAW) narrowly lost a vote to unionize the Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Chattanooga. Workers voted 712-626 against forming a union, ending months of bitter campaigning on the part of both the UAW and its conservative opponents.

Those opponents did not include Volkswagen, which announced early on that it would not challenge the UAW’s organizing drive. Instead, the German auto-maker welcomed cooperation with the union in hopes that they could form a cooperative “works council” modelled after the labor-management governing structures found in much of Germany’s private sector. For its part, the UAW was hoping to extend its influence in the historically anti-union South, now that organized labor’s strength has significantly waned in traditional Rust Belt strongholds like Michigan.

But despite Volkswagen’s assent, the UAW faced unexpectedly strong opposition from the state Republican Party and conservative special interest groups.

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The underlined sentences say it all. GOP=anti-union, and conservative special interest groups=lobbyists.

To me that is the kicker. We pick on each other at our lowly levels and let the 1%'ers laugh as the work their way through the shadows. Typical Citizen "see what those gov't employee's make?". Smarter Citizen "Great to see them do well, that will help bring everyones market up. However do you see what the 1%'ers make? That's like 20,000 peoples salary in one." (1 billion / 50k per year)

To me that is the kicker. We pick on each other at our lowly levels and let the 1%'ers laugh as the work their way through the shadows. Typical Citizen "see what those gov't employee's make?". Smarter Citizen "Great to see them do well, that will help bring everyones market up. However do you see what the 1%'ers make? That's like 20,000 peoples salary in one." (1 billion / 50k per year)

But despite Volkswagen’s assent, the UAW faced unexpectedly strong opposition from the state Republican Party and conservative special interest groups.

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And the UAW isn't a special interest group??

Maybe the people at VW had the good sense to look at the last 50 years of UAW "accomplishments." Then again maybe there aren't really any pressing issues at that plant requiring 3rd party intervention.

Maybe the people at VW had the good sense to look at the last 50 years of UAW "accomplishments." Then again maybe there aren't really any pressing issues at that plant requiring 3rd party intervention.

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Hey, shill!! Unions bad...right-to work (for far less) good!! You require the 3rd party intervention of some sense.

I can see where if someone were to look at the history of the UAW, they would vote no. I can see the same with the Teamsters. Hard sell in a 'right to work' state. I think it is pretty amazing they got 47% of the vote.

Maybe the people at VW had the good sense to look at the last 50 years of UAW "accomplishments." Then again maybe there aren't really any pressing issues at that plant requiring 3rd party intervention.

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The point is, you don't have another example of the Company being ok with possibly unionizing, the People up for vote and a Senator dong whatever they can to stop it. That is the point, a Senator got involved. Like what business is it of theirs? Obviously the UAW would be involved as they are the one organizing. I just found this a very interesting case and I am far from alone on that thought.

I can see where if someone were to look at the history of the UAW, they would vote no. I can see the same with the Teamsters. Hard sell in a 'right to work' state. I think it is pretty amazing they got 47% of the vote.

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So, I guess you're pretty unhappy at $32 per hour with great benefits? I can't believe that someone who directly benefits from being union cannot see the wisdom of union membership. Without the IBT, you'd be just like us. Are unions perfect? No, but workers need some method to secure bargaining ability with management. Too bad for VW workers.

Maybe the people at VW had the good sense to look at the last 50 years of UAW "accomplishments." Then again maybe there aren't really any pressing issues at that plant requiring 3rd party intervention.

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By "accomplishments" do you mean getting the best deal possible for their members? The companies the UAW bargained with didn't have to give what they gave but did because the deals were fair to both sides. Not the unions fault that the big 3 didn't see foreign competition as a threat until it was too late.

By "accomplishments" do you mean getting the best deal possible for their members? The companies the UAW bargained with didn't have to give what they gave but did because the deals were fair to both sides. Not the unions fault that the big 3 didn't see foreign competition as a threat until it was too late.

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This site is full of UPS hypocrites that hate unions, but gladly accept the benefits and high pay IBT membership provides. FedEx Express is a textbook example of an abusive employer taking full advantage of employees who have little to no opportunity to fight back. Fred Smith has gutted Express compensation and benefits, first, because he could, and second, because he's a lying bastard. If we had a union, none of Smth's many takeaways would have ever happened, nor would we have market-levels or 30-year top-outs.

59 Dano is not only a shill, but he's ignorant too. I guess he likes working for less and giving-back benefits so Fred and his buddies can grow even richer...at our expense. My guess is that Dano isn't an hourly at all, but a PR underling who has been assigned to monitor this site and tell all of us how "good" we have it at FedEx.

So, Dano. Go back to Lackey Central and tell them you have failed...again.

So, I guess you're pretty unhappy at $32 per hour with great benefits? I can't believe that someone who directly benefits from being union cannot see the wisdom of union membership.

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Are you really that effen dense????

I am very happy to be a Teamster. I have helped in a failed organizing attempt and am willing to explain to anyone that listens the benefits that I enjoy because I am a Teamster. I have listened to non union workers tell me one misconception after another about unions. I know that uneducated people will believe a business owner when he says, "If you vote to unionize, I will shut this business down." No one will questions it. They believe it and vote not to join a union.

I am not stupid. I can read and have read the history of unions in the US. I know that they have had corruption problems and could benefit immensely from a good PR firm. A GREAT PR firm would be even better.

The south is FULL of people that HATE unions, until unions are able to overcome that uneducated hatred, they will always have a harder time than they should organizing workplaces that would be way better with a union.

The REALITY that you refuse to accept, is that organizing a workplace is unbelievably hard. You have absolutely no idea how hard.

Thinking about it some more, it is not only the south that suffers from union hatred. RTW passed in Michigan, which is a 'no confidence' vote for unions, if you ask me.

The organizing effort I participated in was in the north. The employees honestly believed the owner when he said, "I will close this company down if you vote to unionize." I refuse to believe that someone would close down their life's work out of spite. He made the threat and his employees believed it. Many have said, "I really regret voting no and I would vote yes if the union came back."

Whatever. It costs real money, money that is not returned if the members vote no. I would be curious to know what the UAW spent in the failed effort to organize the VW plant. Bet it is/was a chunk o change.